Prospects for the Use of New Technologies to Combat Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Author(s)

Lima, Renata ^[1] ; Del Fiol, Fernando Sa ^[2] ; Balcao, Victor M. ^{[3, 4, 5]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sorocaba, LABiToN Lab Bioact Assessment & Toxicol Nanomat, Sorocaba - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sorocaba, CRIA Antibiot Reference & Informat Ctr, Sorocaba - Brazil

^[3] Univ Aveiro, Dept Biol, Campus Univ Santiago, Aveiro - Portugal

^[4] Univ Aveiro, CESAM, Campus Univ Santiago, Aveiro - Portugal

^[5] Univ Sorocaba, Ibs2 Intelligent Biosensing & Biomol Stabilizat, PhageLab Lab Biofilms & Bacteriophages, Sorocaba - Portugal

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY; v. 10, JUN 21 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

The increasing use of antibiotics is being driven by factors such as the aging of the population, increased occurrence of infections, and greater prevalence of chronic diseases that require antimicrobial treatment. The excessive and unnecessary use of antibiotics in humans has led to the emergence of bacteria resistant to the antibiotics currently available, as well as to the selective development of other microorganisms, hence contributing to the widespread dissemination of resistance genes at the environmental level. Due to this, attempts are being made to develop new techniques to combat resistant bacteria, among them the use of strictly lytic bacteriophage particles, CRISPR-Cas, and nanotechnology. The use of these technologies, alone or in combination, is promising for solving a problem that humanity faces today and that could lead to human extinction: the domination of pathogenic bacteria resistant to artificial drugs. This prospective paper discusses the potential of bacteriophage particles, CRISPR-Cas, and nanotechnology for use in combating human (bacterial) infections. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/13328-5 - Development and evaluation of biogenic metal nanoparticles (silver, titanium and iron) based on Trichoderma harzianum for agricultural application
• Grantee: Renata de Lima
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/05522-9 - PsaPhageKill - isolation, characterisation and use of lytic bacteriophages against Pseudomonas syringae PV. actinidiae to fight the cancer of kiwifruit: an efficient and ecofriendly alternative
• Grantee: Vitor Manuel Cardoso Figueiredo Balcão
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research
• FAPESP's process: 16/08884-3 - PneumoPhageColor - development of a colorimetric biodetection kit for Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on phage particles
• Grantee: Vitor Manuel Cardoso Figueiredo Balcão
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/12234-4 - TransAppIL - Transdermal delivery of structurally and functionally stabilized protein entities applying ionic liquids.
• Grantee: Marta Maria Duarte Carvalho Vila
• Support type: Regular Research Grants